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Issue: 4.9 September, 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
This Month's Newsletter
Market Update
QUICK LINKS
barn fallIt's Snowing In Steamboat!
 
Greetings!
On Monday morning Steamboat residents woke up to a dusting of snow on Mt. Werner, giving us a friendly reminder that opening day to ski season is only 60 days away.
 
The new snow on the peaks and aspens at full color have combined to make a picture-perfect week in the Colorado Rockies.  Above please find a picture of Steamboat's famous More Barn with the snow dusted slopes of the Steamboat Ski Area in the background.
 
Although it is inevitable that winter will soon arrive, I hope we still have six or seven weeks of golf left.  The Buyer's Resource Golf Team (Ulrich and myself) will be defending the championship we won last year when we meet the Prudential Steamboat Realty team today in a winner-take-all match at Haymaker Golf Course with the losing team buying breakfast.  I can only hope the eggs benedict at the Creekside Cafe will taste as good this year as they did last year!
website home pageSubstantial Upgrades to My Web Site! 
Over the past two months I've been working with web programmers to upgrade my web site.  Included in this enhancement are six videos I've used in the past for Buyer's Resource television commercials.  I'm really excited about the improvements and would love to receive your input on them.
 
Can you tell which one of the six TV commercials received the most complaints from my competitors?  Thing is, I was only stating honest and obvious differences between traditional real estate salespeople and exclusive buyer brokers.
 
One of the videos can be found on my home page.  To click on the web site to see all of the cool upgrades and see one of the videos, click here.
 
Further into the web site are five others.  To see them, click here.
 
Vail Real Estate Activity Up Significantly This Fall
Tom Ross, who reports on the real estate happenings for the Steamboat Pilot & Today, sent me an article from the Vail Daily reporting a significant increase in activity from our neighbors to the south.  The Vail Daily reported that 22 properties went under contract for the time period between January 1 and July 10, 2009, while between August 10 and September 10, a total of 77 went under contract.
 
The buzz around Steamboat is that brokers here have also noticed an increase in activity.  However, my personal take is that this is the time of the year we typically see the most activity, so if this uptick didn't occur, it would be a greater story to be concerned about.
 
Has the Steamboat Market Hit Bottom?
Myself, along with the other brokers in my office have a number of clients who have recently made some great buys.  Sellers are accepting offers at 10% and even 20% below list priceAppraisals have been coming in higher than what our clients have the property under contract for.  Interest rates are at near record lows.  Ski season is 60 days away, so buyers interested in a rental property can begin receiving income as soon as they close.  The stars are certainly aligned for buyers to consider the opportunity that now exists.
 
I have not seen a better time to make a move, and some are taking advantage of this buying opportunity.  Give me a call (877.970.8885 x101) or email to discuss what great buy may be waiting for you!

Steamboat Best Buys! 

As an exclusive buyer's broker, I am committed to keeping my clients up-to-date on properties that represent the best opportunities in the market today.  The properties below represent, through my research, some of those properties.
 
Please remember I do not accept listings.  Therefore, these selections have been compiled from over 2,000 properties for sale (advertised or unadvertised) via REALTORS, owners and developers.  Properties are selected objectively and without bias, based on their existing merits and not factored in is the potential for further negotiation.  To better understand each property, I have identified any misgivings as well as features, as every property has certain nuances that I make clients aware of.  Best Buy properties have been selected due to price, location, scarcity, quality, rental income and investment potential.
 
If you would like additional information on any of these, or if you would like me to conduct a personal Best Buy search with the features and benefits of your ideal property, please contact me
 
aspen ridgeDakota Ridge Foreclosure 
In a neighborhood that commands house values from $350 to over $500 per square foot, this bank-owned property is listed at less than $300 per square foot.  This wonderful home is in mint condition and consists of five bedrooms and five baths and over 6,000 square feet.  It includes a three car garage, library / study, media / theater room and mother-in-law quarters.  The views from this home are some of Steamboat's best, and this great buy is priced at $1.8m. 
 
 
grand 1brSteamboat Grand Whole Ownership
If you are looking for an affordable investment providing excellent onsite management, rental income, quality accommodations, amenities and the ability to travel the world, this one bedroom and one bath condo may be it!  The Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel is a mixed use project with whole, quartershare and eighthshare ownership opportunities.  With Grand quartershares currently listed at $81,900 and eighthshares at $59,500, this whole ownership condo is very well positioned for an opportune buyer at only $299k.  Give me a call (877.970.8885) or email to discuss the possibilities with this unique and well priced property. 
 
 
 
belton
Large Ranch Close to Steamboat 
There is nothing else like this property on the market!  Situated only 10 miles west of Steamboat and in its own private valley, this 747 acre ranch offers easy access with hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and cross country skiing onsite.  Priced at only $1,190 per acre, there's also an existing three bedroom house can be used by the new owners while constructing a ranch house, then converted to a caretaker / guest quarters.  Well priced at $2.25m.  
 
 
johns livingroomSlopeside Two Bedroom Condo
This two bedroom and two bath slopeside condo is located in Ski Trails, a real 'sleeper' in Steamboat's condo market.  Located around properties that are valued at over $800 per square foot, this 871 square foot, top floor unit has recently been updated and is priced at only $379k, or $435 per square foot.
 
 
 

 
 
Please make a visit to my new web site, at www.realestatesteamboat.com.  Not only will you get a laugh out of some of the commercials we've done, you may recognize someone you know!.
 
If you or someone you know would like additional information about the Steamboat Springs real estate market, please let me know.  It's a great time to buy!
 
Sincerely,
 johns livingroom

Doug Labor, GRI, RRP, ABR, ABRM, CEBA, e-PRO
Buyer's Resource Real Estate of Steamboat
Broker / Owner